Change of Heart
by fems
Summary: A broken leg means medical leave, even for the base commander. Still, Sam is surprised when instead of a member of the IOA to temporarily replace her it is Jack O'Neill who comes through the 'gate. Jack expects his orders and the subsequent changes might not go over well on Atlantis right away, but his priorities are Sam and the future of the Atlantis Expedition.
1. Chapter 1

**Title: **Change of Heart  
**Gift**: Secret Santa gift for Sparky She-Demon  
**Category:** fluff

**Season:** SGA 4  
**Spoilers**: _Trio _(SGA: 4x16)  
**Pairing:** S/J

**Summary: **A broken leg means medical leave, even for the base commander. Still, Sam is surprised when instead of a member of the IOA to temporarily replace her it is Jack O'Neill who comes through the 'gate. Jack expects his orders and the subsequent changes might not go over well on Atlantis right away, but his priorities are Sam and the future of the Atlantis Expedition.

**Rating:** K+  
**Warnings:** none  
**Disclaimer:** see profile

**A/N: **I don't have a beta, so any mistakes are my own. I always appreciate feedback and/or constructive criticism or just a comment to let me know why you (don't) like it.

* * *

**Gate Room, Atlantis  
New Lantea, M35-117  
Pegasus Galaxy**

Jack smiled inwardly as he stepped out on the other side of the 'gate and came face to face with Carter, Sheppard's team and some other Atlantis personnel awaiting his arrival smack dab in the middle of the Atlantis gate room. It was great to be traveling through the 'gate again and while his last trip to Atlantis hadn't exactly been fun he _had_ been looking forward to today, especially after a twenty-four-hour quarantine at Midway Station and it would be interesting to see Carter do her thing here in person. He was quickly reminded of his reason for coming upon giving her a onceover, though. Getting the news about her injury had surely cost him a few years of his life and it had once again made him painfully aware of the great distance between them, but at least it had all ended well and she could get rid of the cast in about six weeks or so.

He could tell everyone in the room was surprised to see him but he simply put on his professional mask and walked over to the base commander. She was doing an admirable job of hiding her shock and confusion at his arrival but he knew her well enough to read her face in spite of her masked expression. At least Carter was smiling, Jack thought to himself. He'd missed that smile of hers. "Howdy folks," he greeted, briefly glancing at her entourage before locking gazes with her.

"General O'Neill," she replied, her voice still containing a trace of surprise, "welcome to Atlantis."

"Good to be back, Carter," he said. "Sheppard, Teyla, Ronon… McKay."

The Atlantis' flagship team nodded and gave their respective greetings of "General O'Neill" in various tones, with McKay's sounding the least welcoming.

"We weren't expecting you, Sir," Sheppard said cautiously. "Colonel Carter and I were under the impression that the IOA would be sending someone to take temporary command with the Colonel on medical leave."

Jack nodded and he could tell Carter was a bit conflicted about his arrival as well, probably upset that he'd obviously pulled some strings to get here and at the same time happy – he hoped – to see him again. "Yeah, Woolsey wanted to send one of their schmucks to take over until someone reminded him and the rest of the IOA that they had chosen a military commander for good reason." He neglected to inform them _he_ had been that someone and that he naturally had ulterior motives to visit Atlantis, or how much persuading and schedule clearing it had taken for him to finally get here.

"Well, I think I can safely say we're all happy to have you, Sir," Sheppard replied, grinning.

He didn't doubt Carter's 2IC felt that way, considering the man's opinion on politicians was similar to his own but Jack hoped it wasn't just the fact that he _wasn't_ an IOA schmuck that made him welcome here. Well, he didn't really care about what most of the Atlantis personnel thought and he figured Sheppard was at least grateful to him for getting him transferred from Antarctica – even if the guy said he liked it there – to Atlantis but hopefully Carter wasn't too pissed at him and she would even appreciate him coming over like this, even if it somewhat went against their deal of not interfering in each other's career. Okay, so that probably applied to him mostly seeing as how he was the higher-ranking officer and the director of Homeworld Security, but still… "Thank you, Sheppard. How's the leg, Carter?"

"It looked worse than it was, Sir," she said in a neutral tone. "Upon getting back to Atlantis Doctor Keller discovered it was a clean break by using the medical scanner; the cast should come off in about six weeks."

"You didn't damage that big brain of yours with your fall did you, Colonel?"

Carter shifted on her crutches and glared at her people when someone snorted. "No, Sir, I didn't sustain any head trauma."

"Good, 'cause that would have been a shame. Now, who's going to show me my digs and carry my bag?" Jack smirked and if he hadn't been carrying a bag he would've rubbed his hands together in glee. He had read the report of her mission and how she had been injured, of course, but it was still good to hear nothing except her leg had been injured. The only thing he wasn't certain of yet was how Carter's reception would be in private so he would let her take the lead for now and see how things would turn out.

"I'm sure Colonel Sheppard wouldn't mind showing you to your quarters, General," Carter said in a suspicious tone with a polite smile.

Jack knew that tone of voice and was pretty sure it meant he was in trouble. Oy! A glance at Sheppard, who was reaching for his bag, showed him the Lieutenant Colonel was a bit confused by his commander's veiled order, which was no doubt retaliation for his snorting and overly warm welcome. "Lead on Macduff."

"Yes Sir," Sheppard shot off a smart salute and turned around.

"I believe you're supposed to be resting, Colonel," Jack told Carter. "I'll drop by your quarters to discuss this command-thing in twenty minutes." With that, he followed his bag – carried by Sheppard – but he knew Carter got the message and would make sure she was actually in her quarters by the time he got there.

* * *

**Carter's Quarters, Atlantis  
New Lantea, M35-117  
Pegasus Galaxy**

Sam was going over yet another systems check using her computer tablet, sighing irritably when everything was fine just like the last two times she had checked it. Not doing anything really wasn't her style and she wanted to get up off her bed and go about her daily routine as base commander. But because of her unfortunate fall down the abandoned Genii mine she was on medical leave until her right tibia had healed enough for the cast to be removed. Naturally, having a cast around your leg and relying on crutches to move around meant she was a liability on base in case of emergency. If she had still been based at the SGC she would have been sent home to recover but considering the living quarters she was… well, living in nowadays were her home away from home and Atlantis was the only Tau'ri settlement in this galaxy, things were a bit more complicated.

The past week she had managed to keep the base running with the help of her 2IC, Lieutenant Colonel John Sheppard, while awaiting her temporary replacement from the IOA. Instead, she had been caught off guard when it wasn't Woolsey or one of his buddies but Major General Jack O'Neill who stepped out of the wormhole from Midway Station. Couldn't he at least have given her a heads-up? Not that she wasn't happy to see him again or anything; it had been months since they had been in the same galaxy, let alone the same room. Video chats had been rare and were always professional and recorded, so they usually sent each other encrypted emails or video recordings.

Normally she would have been happy to see him in person after such a long time yet the circumstances seemed to indicate he had pulled some strings to get here; something they had both agreed on they would never do. Both of their careers and assignments were important to them but just because they were together now didn't mean they could demand special treatment other military personnel didn't have at their disposal. It was pretty obvious neither the IOA nor the JCS would insist on sending a high-ranking general officer to replace her while her leg was healing and frankly she was surprised they even felt the need to send someone to take over while Sheppard could probably do it – he was her 2IC, after all. Still, even then it was odd to say the least that they sent the director of HWS…

Just as she cast another glance at the clock she heard the chime indicating someone was at her door and a moment later Jack O'Neill slowly entered her quarters. "Come on in."

He seemed uncharacteristically cautious, almost shy as he headed straight in her direction and stopped at the foot of her bed. The dashing dress blues had been exchanged for his favorite olive drab BDUs, even though they were one star short. "Hey," he said softly, stuffing his hands in his pockets.

"Hi," Sam replied after a beat. The transformation from stern and confident General O'Neill to regular Jack never ceased to amaze her and she had to admit – to herself – that it was endearing when he went from superior officer to repentant husband. "Why are you here, Jack?"

"I told you the IOA decided your temporary replacement should be a military officer instead of a civilian and-"

"And you had nothing to do with that decision?" She inquired dryly, knowing him better than that.

He shrugged but couldn't hide the impish smile on his face. "Maybe… but that's beside the point."

"Is it?" Sam sighed and brushed her bangs out of her face in frustration. Having him here was like a dream come true after missing him for so long but, damn it, they had an agreement about not letting their personal feelings interfere with their jobs! It was bad enough that there had been rumors about them for years while their relationship had been platonic; they needed to remain professional while on the job now that they were married and held such high positions or heads would roll.

Them getting together had attracted enough suspicion from the higher-ups as it was and they had more or less promised their superiors they could make this thing between them work without making bad judgment calls. Once they had gotten married it had been more difficult for the brass to deny them the privilege of working together as the frat regs didn't apply to married couples but considering their history and the brief time they _hadn't_ been in the same chain of command meant people would still talk and speculate. It was why she and Jack had decided to keep their relationship low profile and so far they had managed quite well. "You used your position to get this assignment, didn't you? You let your personal feelings interfere with our jobs!"

"Damn straight I did!" Jack practically yelled as he suddenly started pacing in front of her. "For crying out loud, you fell from twenty-five feet – more than once! You're lucky your leg is all that's broken!"

"Jack-"

"Don't 'Jack' me, Carter! As if worrying about life-sucking Wraith isn't enough with you being a galaxy away, now I need to be concerned about collapsing ceilings, abandoned mines and rickety old crates too?!" He huffed and ran a hand through his hair, making the silver strands stick up even more. "And I have to hear about it a day after the fact through a report – a _report_, for Christ's sake! You could have at least tried contacting me directly when you informed the SGC of your status or have Hank call me afterwards."

Sam's anger disappeared as she saw how distressed he was and she leaned forward on the bed as best she could, reaching out her hand to him. "I'm sorry; I automatically assumed General Landry would call you." It was true that she hadn't thought of requesting he do so, seeing as he was aware of their marital status and Jack was listed as her emergency contact. "I didn't mean for you to find out that way."

"Well, I did," he said, slowly winding down and taking her hand as the peace offering he no doubt knew it was. "It's just… with all the paperwork crossing my desk I don't really expect to find something telling me my wife is in the infirmary after falling down an abandoned mine." Jack sighed and cautiously sat down next to her hip. "You know I hardly read anything that comes in its own folder and I could have easily overlooked this!"

She smiled at his lame attempt at humor and squeezed his hand. "It's just a broken leg, Jack. I'm fine. A few more weeks and the cast can come off and I'm good as new."

"What even possessed you to take McKay with you as backup?"

"He wasn't backup, it was a diplomatic mission," she said, rolling her eyes at his whine.

Jack scowled at her but the way his thumb was caressing her hand kind of negated its effect. "Still, _McKay_? The guy is worthless in a crisis and probably even more so in this case since he turns into a lovesick puppy whenever you're around."

"Maybe," she relented, "but Doctor Keller was there too and I'm pretty sure the best time to get injured is when your head of medicine is with you. Besides, McKay was the one who lowered both Jennifer and me down to the mineshaft and to safety."

"Don't remind me," he grimaced. "It's a good thing I read you were fine minus the broken leg prior to reading the details of your situation. If McKay had lost his grip on that rope or if it had snapped you would have fallen all the way down…"

Sam tugged on his hand until he was close enough to cup his cheek. "It wasn't my intention to scare the living daylights out of you," she murmured, letting her nails run over his five o'clock shadow.

"It better not," Jack grumbled, catching her fingers and pressing a kiss to her palm. "Still, can you really blame me for arranging this little visit? Knowing you were out here, injured and in pain, and with just some words on paper as reassurance you were okay… well, maybe I abused my influence a bit but I don't regret it, Carter. Trust me, sitting through those meetings with the brass and the IOA with you on my mind was hell. Then, when I finally got permission to be your temporary replacement I had to clear my schedule and do all kinds of paperwork before they'd even let me go to the SGC. A day later I finally reached Midway and had to remain quarantined there for twenty-four hours before I finally got to see you!"

"I know," she said, "that can't have been easy for you."

He chuckled softly, undoubtedly guessing she was referring to his famous impatience. "You have no idea what a sight for sore eyes you were when I set foot on Atlantis, even with your ridiculous cast and crutches."

"Why thank you, Sir," she replied cheekily.

Jack's lips quirked in a smile but he quickly sobered again and cupped her cheeks. "No seriously, Sam. It took me nearly a week to get here all the while being worried sick, only to arrive and not even get to wrap my arms around you or kiss yo-"

Sam placed her fingers on his lips. "Don't even _think_ about retiring again! If you'd been retired you wouldn't even be allowed to visit me, you know that."

His shoulders sagged briefly in acknowledgment before a playful smirk appeared on his face and his tongue darted out to lick her fingers. "Okay, okay," he relented, "I guess I'll just have to keep my mind occupied with other things…"

"You still haven't hugged or kissed me," she helpfully reminded him.


	2. Chapter 2

**Carter's Quarters, Atlantis  
New Lantea, M35-117  
Pegasus Galaxy**

Jack smirked and leaned over his wife to kiss her soundly, his hands supporting him on the mattress. The goodbye kiss unexpectedly got deeper as Carter held his head in place and inserted her tongue into his mouth. He caressed her tongue with his briefly as his lips glided over hers, treasuring her taste after months of Carter deprivation. Her passionate response made his arousal flare up again and he was tempted to quickly divest her of her clothes once more… Groaning, he pulled back, swallowing her soft little whimper of protest until they broke apart with a resounding 'plop'. "I've got to go," he said hoarsely.

"Already?" She questioned, her hands smoothing down his black shirt.

He chuckled softly and straightened up. "I told Sheppard I'd drop by your quarters before going to your office to review all the paperwork and upcoming missions… that was almost two hours ago," he added sheepishly, after glancing at his watch.

"I told you I did most of the paperwork already and considering I am the only one who got seriously injured in the mine, the mission roster is in order as well," Carter said.

"Tempting as that may be, I thought we both agreed not to let our personal feelings interfere with our work?" Jack quipped as he shrugged on his BDU jacket.

She flushed before replying in an uncharacteristically whiny tone. "But you're here now anyway…"

"Oy, I'm afraid I'm a bad influence on you, Samantha Carter!" He smirked and leaned down for a _brief_ kiss and as he got up he quickly snatched her tablet from the bed. "And I'll be taking that with me as well."

"Jack!"

He shook his head and took a couple of steps away from the bed to evade her hands. "No, you need to rest! All that, um, activity from just now can't have been good for your leg."

"My leg is fine," Carter protested with an eye roll. "Jennifer gave me some painkillers and I took one before you got here."

"Hmm." Jack narrowed his eyes at her, wondering if that was true – but even if it was he still had to go! "You barely got into those cute little shorts a moment ago," he reminded her.

She huffed and shifted on the bed until she could pull the covers over her legs. "That's just because the cast was in the way. Besides, I didn't need your help this morning or the past few days to get dressed."

That was true, seeing as how she _had_ been dressed when he got here and knowing her, he was pretty sure she wouldn't have gone pantless these past few days either. But could anyone really blame him for using the thick cast and those tiny shorts as an excuse to get his hands on her legs again? "Maybe," Jack relented as he tucked her in. "But you're still going to have to rest, maybe read a book if you can't sleep, okay?"

"You can't expect me to just stay in bed all day," she said, eyes wide as if he had just suggested something completely outrageous.

"Just the rest of the afternoon while I run things from your office… I'll bring back dinner or maybe we can eat in the mess hall if you feel up to it." He understood that it was difficult for her to sit still and basically do nothing as she was quite the workaholic, especially here on Atlantis where she lived on base and he sympathized with her situation but at the same time he also knew how much she hated walking on crutches and how far away the mess hall was from her quarters. "I'll let you keep your laptop but McKay is gonna shut you out of the system for your own good."

Carter glared at him and muttered something incomprehensible under her breath but eventually she nodded in agreement, clearly getting that he would otherwise take her laptop with him as well. "Fine, but don't expect me to spend the next six weeks in bed."

"I'm not," Jack replied, smirking. "Don't worry; I have plans to keep you entertained."

"You do?"

He chuckled at the speculative look in her eyes. "Yeah sure, you betcha!"

"Plans that involve remaining professional while on the job and keeping up appearances?" She asked in a doubtful manner, raising an elegant eyebrow.

"Hmm, something like that," Jack said slowly. "But, I've got to go now before Sheppard comes looking for me."

"Jack-"

He smothered her protest with a quick kiss and walked over to the other side of the room backwards, still holding her tablet. "Don't forget you're supposed to rest! See ya, Carter."

"Bye," she mumbled, looking adorably pathetic in her bed with her tousled hairs and waving a goodbye with one hand.

Jack turned around, quickly looked down at his outfit to make sure everything was buttoned and zipped up properly, and gestured in front of the motion detector to open the door to the corridor. As he headed towards the control tower he was embarrassed to notice there was almost a spring in his step and he quickly looked around to check if someone had noticed. Fortunately, this wing seemed pretty deserted at this time of day and no one was around. Jack didn't need anyone pointing out to him _why_ he was in such a good mood as that was pretty obvious; he had finally gotten to see his wife was fine with his own two eyes after worrying about her for the better part of a week since hearing about her accident.

Not only that, but in the privacy of her bedroom they had been able to hold, touch and kiss each other. Falling into bed with her and reacquainting himself with her toned yet feminine body hadn't been planned at all but after having been apart for months it had probably been inevitable. He certainly didn't regret it and seeing as how Carter had been reluctant to let him leave neither did she. It wasn't the smartest thing they could have done, considering they were officially on duty – well he was, she was technically on medical leave – and had been discussing their agreement about remaining professional only moments before!

They had been lucky no one had needed either of them during that time because he wouldn't have been entirely surprised if someone, like Sheppard, would have shown up at Carter's quarters while they had been exploring each other's bodies between the sheets! Luckily, it seemed the Lieutenant Colonel had a better sense of timing than some of their friends… Then again, it was entirely possible the base's 2IC was quite capable of filling in for Carter and had no reason to come looking for either of them. In a way, that was a good thing, Jack mused. It meant his plans for the next few days would probably work out better than expected…

Jack nodded at the passing personnel, who at times seemed a bit confused or caught off guard at seeing him while others seemed completely unfazed by his presence and simply returned the gesture. He briefly wondered if they even knew who he was; he expected the military folks to know him as most had been stationed at the SGC for a certain amount of time or at least had some kind of training there prior to being stationed here, but the civilians appeared the be the nonplussed ones so they probably had no idea. His 'odd' BDUs probably didn't help in that department either but they did make him stand out, which was precisely why he had chosen to wear these. Well, that and the fact that he didn't really like those Atlantis outfits. The all-black BDUs Sheppard seemed to prefer were okay but Jack preferred his own look and while Carter looked kinda hot in her commander outfit – in particular when she was wearing that rare leather jacket of hers – he didn't think that blue-grayish washed out color with red was really his thing.

When he finally reached the control tower he quickly made his way up to the commander's office and wasn't surprised to see Sheppard and McKay hanging around. "Whaddya want?"

"Oh, General O'Neill," McKay said superciliously, "it's you."

"General," Sheppard nodded and even straightened up a bit. "I was hoping to catch you."

McKay frowned and looked around. "Where's Sam?"

"Carter's resting, doctor's orders," Jack said curtly.

"You told me she'd be here," the scientist said, glaring at his team leader.

Sheppard simply shrugged, a small smile on his face. "Guess not. Sir, I was wondering if we could talk about the mission roster?"

Jack went into Carter's office and beckoned them in. "Sure, shoot."

"Well," the Lieutenant Colonel started as he entered the office, "I got a notification that my team's next mission is scrubbed and I was kinda surprised as Colonel Carter had already approved it a while ago."

Plopping down on his wife's chair Jack made himself at home behind her desk, smiling inwardly when he noticed all the pictures she had surrounded herself with while at work. He placed her confiscated tablet to his left and accessed her work laptop, using the commander's codes he'd been given to pull up the mission roster in question. "Oh, right. Hmm, yep."

"Sir?"

"Oh," he glanced up at the two men in front of his desk. "Well, Carter is the one who postponed that mission-"

"Why would Sam do that?" McKay butted in, his tone of voice incredulous.

Jack frowned at the head scientist, wondering if the guy thought he was making this up or something. "Because there's another mission that's left unfinished."

"General?"

"M5V-801 Sheppard," he replied after another glance at Carter's notes.

McKay huffed and crossed his arms. "The one with the frequent tremors – again!"

"Those people still need to move to another continent," Jack said. Even though the administrative work for this base had made him wary about volunteering to temporarily take over command as it reminded him too much of that year or so at the SGC – where he'd simply been signing paper after paper while sending good people out into danger – the missions here were of a different nature. Of course there were still dangerous ones, especially with all the enemies in this galaxy but at the SGC they rarely got to relocate people and simply watch out for them as the base's mandate differed from Atlantis. It was a nice change, especially after all his time at Homeworld Security. "Unless, of course, those tremors have miraculously stopped since that underground Genii mine fell into the chasm of nothingness?"

"Well, we were kind of busy at the time. You know, that whole barely escaping with our lives thing sort of put a stop to the negotiations," the scientist said. "We needed to get Sam to the infirmary in case there was internal bleeding and my hands were injured too!"

"Yes, I noticed," Jack remarked dryly. "I take it that's also why you still haven't filed your mission report yet, Doctor?"

McKay gasped dramatically and gestured wildly. "My seismic team already filed the reports on their findings weeks ago and it's not like we did or encountered anything worthwhile in that mine!"

"I still need a report," he said with a shrug. "Carter already filed hers and sent it to the SGC the morning after in spite of her broken leg and Doctor Keller's medical report was sent along with it, followed by a mission report two days later. You submitted nothing at all, zilch, nada…"

"Elizabeth never required a military-style mission report from me and only needed my scientific opinion on technology we encountered."

Jack raised a skeptic brow at the haughty tone and glanced at Sheppard when the man snorted and earned an evil glare from McKay. He had never been completely involved with Elizabeth Weir's command as she technically reported to the IOA but he had always gotten a lot of reports and attended meetings about Atlantis and such as director of HWS… so he wasn't entirely certain the scientist was blatantly lying to him but his teammate's reaction seemed to indicate it. Even though Atlantis had been run by a civilian it surely didn't mean they had abandoned the concepts of mission reports per team member? Then again, even if Elizabeth _had_ done so – or even just in the case of McKay because Jack was well aware of how obnoxious the guy could be – he knew Carter wouldn't allow it, since she reported to both the IOA and the military chain of command and she'd had command long enough for McKay to know better. "Really?"

McKay stopped scowling at Sheppard and nodded. "Yes."

"I know Carter runs a tight ship when it comes to mission reports as they eventually make their way to my desk in DC," he warned him. "But, I guess I probably shouldn't have such high expectations of you, McKay."

"W-what?" The scientist spluttered, clearly caught off guard by his remark.

Jack shrugged and leaned back in his chair. "Well, as you know Carter was my 2IC in the field for seven years and she never had any trouble submitting full mission reports _and_ technical analyses. Or the occasional medical report when she was helping out our CMO," he added, smirking. "She even managed to do so atop of her lab work when she got command of SG-1. I guess she just raised the bar for the rest of you geeks."

"Obviously I could manage to do the same as Sam, despite the fact that I am basically running the entire science department as well," McKay was quick to say. "I just don't see why I should waste my time like that when there are other people who only have to write a summary of what happened as there are far more important things I could be working on."

"Oh, but I desperately want to hear your side of what happened, McKay," he said sarcastically.

"Well, when you put it like that… I guess I am the most qualified person to relay the events of that mission as precisely as possible, considering my superior intellect. Granted, Sam is almost in the same league as I am but she _was_ injured and in pain so most of what happened after she broke her leg is probably a blur to her." The astrophysicist was smirking proudly until he caught sight of his hands. "Oh, but my hands are still injured so that would make it difficult to write a report."

Rolling his eyes Jack patiently counted to ten in his head before replying. "Doctor Keller mentioned your hands were fine in her report and she cleared you for duty. Considering your superior intellect I'm sure you can come up with a way to write those reports anyway."

"Maybe I can get Zelenka to…" McKay was muttering under his breath, a pensive look on his face. "Anyway, I don't think I'm needed to visit M5V-801 again. Like I said, my seismic team has already reported their findings and my skills aren't needed there. Besides, I don't think it'll be good for my hands; they're still recuperating and what if there are more mines down there and we fall into another one?"

"You ever hear of gloves? Fingerless ones if necessary," Jack retorted, exasperated. "Now, I need you to lock Carter out of the system since she needs her rest but didn't want to give up her personal laptop. Oh and get me one of those ear thingies before you gear up for your mission to M5V-801."

"But-"

"Ack! This is not up for debate! Now go," he added, making a shooing gesture at McKay.

Sheppard waited until his team's scientist had left the office before speaking. "Sir, with all due respect, negotiating with alien settlements isn't exactly why I joined the Air Force. That's why Colonel Carter agreed to go on the mission in the first place."

Jack smiled wryly. "Well, I'm sure she'd be _thrilled_ to trade places with ya now but unless you've got a doohickey lying around here somewhere that can transfer her injury to your body, that's not gonna happen."

"Sir," he groaned, "I was just hoping maybe another team could do this one?"

"Do you know why I joined the Air Force, Sheppard?"

"Um, no, Sir."

Sighing, Jack tried to think back to when he'd just been a kid. "Well, there were actually several reasons but the most important one was that I wanted to fly."

Sheppard nodded in agreement, a small grin on his face. "That I understand, Sir."

"I got to do the flying part but it soon became apparent I was good at other things too and… well, I can't really tell you about any of that or I'd have to shoot you."

"Gotcha, Sir," Sheppard smirked.

Jack knew he understood; he'd seen the man's file after all. Besides, after spending the better of a decade at the SGC people had become quite aware of his own skills and past. Considering the personnel here on Atlantis had all come through the SGC at one point or another, he doubted the Lieutenant Colonel had remained unaware of Jack's reputation. "Eventually, I got recruited for the first mission through the Stargate and after a while I got recalled for a second mission. Afterwards, it was clear there was plenty of work left to do and I was assigned to command the flagship team of Earth's first line of defense. Now, was that why I had joined the Air Force?"

He grimaced, clearly sensing where this was heading. "No, Sir."

"Damn right it wasn't! But I had sworn to serve my country and they needed someone to do it," Jack shrugged. "Besides, friends of mine had been taken on that mission; I didn't trust anyone else to get them back."

"I would have felt the same way, General."

"Now, a decade later I'm heading up Homeworld Security, dealing with idiotic politicians and pencil pushers on a daily basis while flying a desk."

Sheppard nodded gravely in understanding. "Not exactly why you joined the Air Force."

"Exactly!" He exclaimed loudly. "As if being stationed in my most-hated city isn't bad enough I also have to deal with the IOA shrubs, as well as foreign and alien dignitaries to forge treaties for the safety of not just my country, but the entire planet. Does that sound like fun to you?"

"Um, not really."

Jack snorted at the understatement. "You know what I would like to do every day, Sheppard? Spend my days with my wife at our cabin, do some fishing, maybe get a dog… not having to worry about intergalactic affairs."

"You're married, Sir?"

"Um, yes, but that's beside the point," he quickly said, silently berating himself for letting that slip. "Do you know why I haven't retired yet?"

Sheppard seemed to think for a moment before hazarding a guess. "Because they need someone to do it?"

Jack nodded, pleased to have made his point. "Precisely! At this time, there isn't anyone else I would trust the position to and if the wrong person gets the job things will quickly go to hell in a handbasket."

"And we wouldn't want that," the man concluded grimly.

"Nope," he replied, rubbing his hands in glee. "Well, I'm glad we cleared that up. I assume this means there won't be any problems with your mission to M5V-801?"

Shaking his head, Sheppard checked his watch. "No Sir," he said, with obvious reluctance. "I'll go gear up."

"Excellent," Jack replied, smirking.


	3. Chapter 3

**Carter's Quarters, Atlantis  
New Lantea, M35-117  
Pegasus Galaxy**

Sam woke up slowly, blinking her eyes at the brightness in her room and was surprised to realize she had actually taken a nap. A glance at her alarm clock made her sit up in shock, stunned to learn she had slept for about four hours! She absentmindedly rubbed the sleep from her eyes and wondered when Jack would be back because it had been hours since she'd last eaten something. Maybe she should just make her way to the mess hall on her crutches, she thought. Her husband probably wouldn't like it but he also wouldn't want her to starve, now would he? She figured he was probably caught up in paperwork or just the daily grind of Atlantis, as it would probably take some getting used to after all his time at HWS. The work wasn't exactly the same and it was even somewhat different from what he'd done at the SGC, plus he would need to familiarize himself with everything and everyone here.

Suppressing a yawn she scrubbed a hand over her face, silently contemplating her options. It was only when she ran her hand through her hair that she realized she probably looked awful. Did she really want to slip on the same clothes as before and go to the mess hall looking like this? Not that she wasn't entitled to look like crap considering her leg but she would really prefer to freshen up first. The only problem was that a quick shower was more or less out of the question as she had to be careful with her cast, since it couldn't get wet and these past few days it had taken her ages in the bathroom to wash herself with a cloth. Not only did she end up freezing her six off but it was also very tiring for her body and muscles as she had to shift from sitting to standing and maintaining her balance while keeping the weight off her right leg…

She was just about to throw off the covers when the door to her quarters suddenly opened and Jack appeared, with a small cart that looked suspiciously like it was filled with a couple of trays of food from the mess. "Hi."

"Oh, you're awake!" He grinned and entered the room, pushing the cart inside. "Sleep well?"

"Um, yes," she said slowly, following him with her gaze. "I didn't mean to fall asleep, though."

Her husband simply shrugged at her. "Guess your body needed the rest then."

"How did everything go today?" She questioned, before catching sight of her personal laptop. "I can't believe you actually had Rodney shut me out of the system."

"'Rodney'?" Jack questioned, raising his eyebrow. "And you should know by now that I don't issue empty threats, Carter." He came closer and sat down on the mattress next to her. "Everything went fine. As you can see the city is still standing, er, floating."

Sam smiled wryly at his bad joke before leaning in to give him a kiss. "Nothing went wrong?"

"Nope," he said happily. "Lorne and Sheppard's teams minus Teyla are on M5V-801 to move those people to a different continent, Teyla is overseeing some sparring matches in the gym and Zelenka was doing some kind of experiment you had already approved earlier this week…"

She listened as he continued to sum up all the things that he had approved, witnessed or ordered today and was surprised to learn of how well his first day had gone down. Maybe he _was_ the right choice to temporarily replace her after all. "What about dinner?" She asked, once he finished his report.

"Well, as you can see, my Lady, I've brought different kinds of food for you," Jack quipped, gesturing at the little cart near the foot of the bed. "I wasn't sure what you were in the mood for and you looked so content and peaceful all snuggled up in the covers that I couldn't wake you to ask."

"You already dropped by before?"

He nodded, smiling and cupped her cheek. "No need to be embarrassed about falling or staying asleep. Like I said, you needed it. You should be happy to have slept so well in spite of your leg."

Sam knew he was right but she was a bit concerned that she'd just slept through his earlier visit. "Well, I'm glad you brought dinner here as I was just thinking that I'd really like to clean up before venturing out of the room."

"How about the balcony?"

"What about it?" She asked, frowning.

Jack gestured at the doors, which had been opened she realized. "I thought we could eat on the balcony… unless you'd rather stay in bed."

"No, I've been in bed all afternoon so getting up sounds really appealing. Could you get me some clothes?"

"Your bathrobe might be easier," he suggested. "It's not cold outside or anything."

Sam shrugged, not partial to a specific outfit if it was just the two of them. "Okay, maybe a shirt and a robe then?"

Within seconds he'd collected the robe and one of his old button-up shirts she'd brought with her. "This one looks awfully familiar," Jack speculated as he handed her the black long-sleeved shirt.

"It's yours," she admitted, before slipping it over her top.

"Thought so. I was already starting to wonder where all my clothes had gone…" He muttered to himself as he pulled the covers away from her and gently lifted her casted leg from the pillow it had been elevated upon. Then he stood back with outstretched hands to help her get up and once she was standing he handed her the robe.

Before donning the bathrobe she tugged her shirt down until it covered her six and then she waited until Jack brought her her crutches. "Thank you."

"No problem," he smirked, watching as she tried to tame her bedhead now that she had something to lean her weight on. "C'mon, I already set some stuff outside."

Curious, she followed him and was surprised to see the effort he'd gone through; there was a plaid on the floor, a folded-up blanket lying in the corner, throw pillows were leaning against the outside wall, and he'd moved her coffee table plus a few unlit candles outside as well. "Jack…"

He blushed and looked a bit uncomfortable. "If you just take a seat here," he gestured at the pillowed area, "then I'll get the food and drinks from inside."

With his help she lowered herself to the floor and as he put her crutches away and disappeared inside she tried to make herself comfortable. She couldn't believe he'd found the time to set all this up or that she had apparently slept through all his preparations! To think she had been upset with him for pulling strings to get assigned here for the moment… if he hadn't, she would have still been in bed and Woolsey or one of his friends would be creating havoc as temporary base commander. "I can't believe you went through all this trouble," she told her husband when he joined her again.

"No trouble, really," Jack dismissed her praise. He quietly started setting the low coffee table until there were only empty trays left in the cart. Finished, he pushed the cart back inside, lit the candles and joined her on the floor on her left, careful of her leg. "Blanket?"

Sam wasn't really cold but liked the intimacy, so she nodded and snuggled up to him as he covered both their lower bodies with the blanket. "The sun is setting," she commented upon looking beyond the balcony.

"I know."

"That's why you wanted to eat out here," she concluded, smiling.

He shrugged and placed one arm around her. "Well, I remember how much you enjoyed watching the sunsets at the cabin and you did mention once how beautiful it was here on Atlantis…"

"And that I wished you were here to share it with me…"

"And here were are," Jack said, handing her a cup of coffee and holding one of his own before he settled back and gazed at the sunset.

Sam smiled at his romantic gesture and slowly sipped from the beverage. "No wine this time, though."

He chuckled softly. "I didn't want to arouse anyone's suspicion by asking where I could get some wine in the mess. Besides, you probably shouldn't be drinking."

"I'm glad you came," she said after a moment of silence, with both of them staring at the sunset.

"Me too."

Sam shifted forward when he gently pushed against her back and settled behind her, his legs on either side of her and the blanket still covering both of them. She put their empty coffee cups away and leaned forward to grab two plates from the table before settling against his chest. The Salisbury steak was hers and assuming he'd picked the taquitos for himself she handed him the Mexican dish. "Try not to spill any of your food on me," she joked when he nuzzled her hair.

He placed the plate on the floor on their right. "I won't," Jack promised, nuzzling her neck and pressing a kiss on a sensitive spot behind her ear. "Just wanna enjoy having you in my arms now that you're still all warm and rosy from your nap."

Relenting, she lowered her plate to her lap and leaned her weight fully against him, canting her head just so to give him more room. He never ceased to amaze her with how romantic or affectionate he could be at times and she had to admit she enjoyed his closeness and touches too. Considering how long it had taken them to finally get together it probably wasn't all that strange, especially with the huge distances between their respective postings over the past few years; whenever they got to be together they tried to make the most of it. Now, with her in Atlantis and him back in DC in their home galaxy the times they actually got to physically be in the same room, let alone just the two of them, had become even fewer. "You're a strange man, Jack O'Neill."

"You betcha," he mumbled against her skin, his arms tightening around her waist. "Now, enjoy the sunset, Mrs O'Neill."

"Yes Sir!" Sam snorted but did as he suggested.

* * *

Two hours later Jack whistled a soft ditty under his breath as he cleaned up the remnants of their dinner. The sunset had indeed been spectacular as Carter had already told him a couple of times in the past but it had also meant most of their dinner had been lukewarm or even cold by the time they got to eat it. Fortunately, his wife hadn't seemed to mind much and Jack himself had only eaten a few taquitos and a pre-packed sandwich, all of which were fine warm or cold, and then he'd started on the desserts and fruits he'd brought with him.

Eventually, Carter had gotten restless from sitting still so long so he had helped her up, handed her the crutches and started to clean up while she went back inside. Despite the many items he'd taken from the mess hall he was done quite quickly and only minutes later the cart with formerly empty trays had been filled with leftovers and dishes. The pillows were all back in their original place, the plaid and blanket had been folded up and were waiting to be returned on the coffee table he'd carried back inside.

"Are you gonna be okay here while I bring this stuff back to the mess and check on things?" He asked, turning back to his wife.

Carter looked up from the book she was reading and smirked. "Yes Jack, I will be fine on my own for a bit."

"Sorry," he said sheepishly, realizing how his question sounded. It wasn't as if she needed a babysitter just because she'd broken her leg and considering she had been in command of the alien city for the better part of a year now, she was probably more aware of the possible dangers that might lurk around the corner. "I have to check on Lorne and Sheppard as they haven't reported back yet, so I might be a while."

"Do you think something went wrong on their mission?" She asked, concern obvious in her tone and on her face. It had to be difficult for her to sit back and let someone else – even if he was her husband – take care of things of her command, especially now that she didn't have access to the system and wasn't wearing her headset.

Jack shrugged and indicated the ear thingy he'd been wearing. "Nah, I doubt it. They took a jumper so it's unlikely they've fallen victim to a mine similar as the one you discovered but they should have checked in half an hour ago."

"Still, John should know better," Carter commented, frowning.

"You know how those alien treaties go," he said, making a dismissive wave with his hand. "They're probably caught up in another 'deal breaker' and lost track of time, or maybe they're already helping those folks move."

She sighed and ran a hand through her hair. "Let's hope that's all there is to it."

"Well, you just sit back, relax and um, finish your book and then I'll swing by my quarters to pick up the cast protector I brought along with me from Earth so you can take a shower or bathe without too much trouble."

Carter perked up at that, beaming at him. "You brought one with you? Where did you get it?"

Jack smirked, pleased that he'd gone through the trouble of finding the darn thing in his closet in DC. "It's one of mine. I figured they wouldn't have any here since personnel are usually sent back to Earth for medical leave as soon as they can leave the infirmary."

"Thank you!"

"It's served me well since our unfortunate stint in Antarctica," he said, grimacing at the memory of the two of them stranded there in the first year of the Program.

She looked away for a moment, gnawing her lip. "About that… Sorry about the splint-"

"Hey, you saved my leg, heck my life back there! No need to apologize," he replied, waving it away and wondering why she brought it up now.

"Maybe," Carter muttered, blushing a bit as she shrugged. "It's just that until," she gestured at the cast, "now, I never fully realized how painful getting your broken leg splinted can be."

Jack's mood darkened, reminded of what she'd gone through while he'd been safely sitting behind his desk. Setting broken bones was extremely painful, especially under such circumstances and all Keller had been able to give her was _ibuprofen_, for crying out loud! That may have taken some of the edge off – although he doubted it – but as a side effects it could have also increased Carter's risks of internal bleeding… "Yeah well, for someone with no experience you did a great job splinting my leg back then," he said lightly, walking over to her to give her a kiss. "Now, I've got check on things…"

She smiled at him. "Take your time, I'm not going anywhere."

"See ya in a bit." With one last glance at his lovely wife Jack headed for the door, pushing the cart in front of him. The way down to the mess didn't take as long as he thought and in the meantime he'd used his ear thingy to check in with Banks in the control room to get an update on the off-world teams and told her to contact Sheppard or Lorne. By the time Jack made it to Stargate Operations Chuck beckoned him over to the control room, to inform him they had made contact with Sheppard and that his and Lorne's teams were on their way back to Atlantis.

Pleased with the good news Jack swung by Carter's office to pick up her tablet and double-check everything was going well. A new stack of reports in the inbox dampened his good mood a bit but those could wait until the next day, he decided. After finishing up in the office he made his way back to his assigned quarters to pick up some things for Carter and within minutes he was done, ready to join his wife.

All in all he had been gone for less than an hour by the time he entered Carter's living room. "I'm back," he needlessly said.

"Oh, hi," Carter replied, looking up from her book. "That was quick."

Jack smirked and made his way over to her. "Not really. It's been almost an hour since I left."

She sheepishly checked her watch and muttered something about getting lost in her book. "Did you hear from John?"

"Yep, they're all on their way back after a successful mission."

"Good."

He nodded in agreement and then showed her the items he'd brought with him. "Here's your cast protector, a knitting needle and, last but not least, your precious tablet."

Carter frowned, her eyes on the needle. "What's with the needle?"

"In case your leg or foot is itching but you can't take care of it because of the cast," he explained.

"Of course," she said, smiling. "Where did you even get one of these?"

Jack shrugged and handed it to her. "Also mine. Picked it up somewhere in physical therapy a long time ago and it has always served me well when some part me of was in a cast."

"Thank you, that's very sweet of you." She immediately put it to the test, sliding the needle underneath the cast and groaning appreciatively when she hit the right spot.

He smiled and went into the bathroom to start her a bath, taking the cast cover thingy with him. "I figured you might want to check what I've been up to all day but I don't want you to spend the rest of the evening checking every protocol and whatnot on your tablet," he called out to her. After adding some bubble bath stuff he headed back to the living room and wasn't surprised to see his wife working on her computer tablet while absentmindedly moving the needle along her leg. "Carter?"

"Almost done!" She said quickly, flashing him a smile.

"I've started the bath and your cast thingy is in the bathroom as well. Do you need any help or do you just want me to go back to my quarters?"

That caught her attention and earned him a puzzled frown. "Well, I would appreciate it if you'd support me while I lower myself into the bath… you're also welcome to join me if you want," Carter added with a devilish grin. "But you, Jack O'Neill, are expected to spend the night in my bed so don't even think about going back to your quarters now."

He chuckled as she wagged her finger at him in warning. "As you wish, Colonel. Just didn't think you'd be up for sharing a room…"

"Well, we _are_ married," she countered.

"Fortunately, yes," Jack replied. "However, you had your people put me in different quarters so I figured you'd want to keep up appearances. Besides, I was kinda worried that you might decide to kick my ass for coming to Atlantis and I've heard those casts pack quite a punch!"

Carter giggled as she got up from the sofa, using her crutches. "Don't worry, Jack. I'm not going to kick your ass after everything you've done for me today. Unless you refuse to join me in the tub of course."


	4. Chapter 4

**Carter's Quarters, Atlantis  
New Lantea, M35-117  
Pegasus Galaxy**

The next morning they were awoken by Carter's alarm clock and, after hitting snooze, Jack took advantage of the moment to cuddle up to his wife. "G'morning."

"Hi," she replied in a hoarse tone.

He grinned at her sleepy eyes and bedhead, enjoying the intimate moment. It was strange to think they had probably spent more time apart since getting married than back when their relationship had been strictly professional. It certainly wasn't his idea of marriage but with Samantha Carter he'd take whatever he could get; they had both known what they were getting themselves into at the time. At least this way they still appreciated the small things like waking up together after three years, he mused. "Sleep well?"

"Better than the last few days," Carter said. Smiling, she snuggled closer, careful of her leg. "You?"

"Much better than the past few months. Must be the mattress," Jack teased.

She snorted. "I'll bet."

When the alarm went off again he groaned and slowly disentangled himself from her to get up. "Duty calls. How's the leg? Need some meds?"

"It's fine."

"Hungry?" He asked, turning off the alarm and looking around for his boxers.

"I thought you said you had to work?" Carter asked, giving him a slow onceover.

Jack groaned and quickly pulled on his underwear. "Food, Carter. I was asking if you wanted breakfast."

She had the grace to blush as she stretched her arms above her head. "Maybe…"

"Do you want me to get you some breakfast in bed or would you prefer to go to the mess hall yourself?" He asked as he donned his BDUs.

"As tempting as breakfast in bed sounds I think it's time for me to show my face around the base a bit, if only to get some exercise like Jennifer told me."

He nodded in agreement, knowing she had been far more active before he'd gotten here compared to yesterday and while she needed to rest her leg, she also needed to stay mobile enough to prevent blood clots and such. "Okay, then why don't you get dressed and meet me in the mess hall in half an hour?"

She sat up when he neared the bed and pulled him in for a kiss. "Okay," she murmured, after they broke apart. "You're going to my office?"

"Yep, there was already a fresh stack of paperwork there last night, so I can't _wait_ to see what it looks like now," Jack quipped. He quickly collected her crutches and helped her get out of the bed, even though he knew she didn't really _need_ the help; she had managed just fine before he'd arrived here but he wanted to help her and fortunately she let him. She was still wearing one of his black shirts, which barely covered her six as she hobbled over to the bathroom and it made him smile. "I'll see you in thirty minutes," he called after her.

"Yeah sure you betcha!"

He chuckled softly at her reply before making his way to the door. Unfortunately he didn't have any of his personal things with him, so he was hoping he could dash over to his quarters after breakfast to take a quick shower, get some clean underwear, shave and comb his hair. For now, he'd have to make do with his hair sticking up in all directions, he decided. After buttoning up his BDU jacket he opened the door and went into the corridor… and nearly bumped into Sheppard as he rounded the corner. Crap! "Colonel."

"General," Sheppard said, warily. "Did you just…?"

"Just… what?" Jack asked innocently.

The flagship team's commander looked between him and the door to Carter's quarters. "Did you just come out of Colonel Carter's quarters, Sir?"

"Why yes, Colonel!" He figured denying would only make it look worse and it wasn't like Sheppard could tell he'd been there all night. "She was still asleep but is getting dressed now and will meet me in the mess hall in thirty minutes. Just enough time for me to swing by Stargate Operations and check on things. Care to join me?"

"Um, sure," Sheppard replied.

Jack raised his brows and pointed at the door over his shoulder. "Unless there was something you needed from Carter?"

"No, no Sir," he said. "I just wanted to check up on her but I guess I'll see her in the mess."

Smirking, Jack led Carter's 2IC away from her room and towards the control tower.

* * *

**Northwest Pier, Atlantis  
New Lantea, M35-117  
Pegasus Galaxy**

Sam leaned back, resting her weight on her hands behind her and tilted her face upwards, enjoying the rays of the alien sun on her skin. Since her assignment here she had hardly taken the time to enjoy the beautiful landscape of the planet and had only had a few stolen moments in the sun on her balcony. This was actually the first time she was on this pier and only because Jack had insisted. She still couldn't believe he had actually taken her outside to fish. Granted, he was doing paperwork and typing away on her work laptop on occasion but he had placed the plaid on the ground, helped her down and elevate her leg and then he'd handed her a fishing rod as if it wasn't at all strange. What was even stranger was that she could have sworn it was the same rod he'd given her at the cabin!

"Stop thinking so much and just relax," her husband gently scolded her.

Smiling, she turned her head to look at him. He was seated on a chair to make it easier to do paperwork and balance her laptop no doubt, while she was sitting on the plaid with her outstretched and elevated leg under his chair. "You planned all this, didn't you?" She questioned, blinking against the sunlight.

"Maybe," Jack said slowly, his lips quirking in a small grin.

"But who is keeping an eye on things? John?"

He shook his head and tapped his comm. "I am, just not from your office. They can still radio me and Sheppard is conducting some interviews with support personnel and has a couple of meetings with other team leaders planned in the conference room, so if they need someone on site quickly he can go."

Sam wondered if he had even bothered to ask her 2IC, had simply ordered him or would expect him to show some initiative. "Is John aware of this?"

"He knows," Jack simply said. With his face being higher than hers and the sun shining in her eyes she couldn't make out his facial expression, so decided to let it go. "What'cha doing?"

"Oh, um," she stammered, glancing down at the hand that had been scratching her cast. "My leg is itching again."

"Where did you put that needle?"

She let out an exasperated sigh and gave up on trying to alleviate the itch. "Doctor Keller saw me using it in the mess hall before you arrived and took it from me. She said that I could make it worse by irritating the skin and causing an infection."

Snorting, he threw her a sympathetic glance. "I'm guessing she's never had her leg in a cast then."

"Probably not," Sam agreed.

"Is there still coffee in the thermos?" Jack questioned, gesturing at the various food items and leftovers from lunch to her right.

She nodded and reached for his empty cup and the thermos, suddenly feeling very domestic as she poured him some coffee. "Here."

He accepted the drink gratefully and simultaneously handed her the work laptop. "What?"

"Nothing," Sam said quickly, shaking her head at her silly thoughts.

"C'mon, spill," he said and childishly poked her good leg with his shoe.

Rolling her eyes she gave in. "I just felt a bit domestic all of a sudden while pouring coffee for you. I know it's silly but I don't usually get to do those things and I can't even remember the last time I made you something to eat or drink…"

Jack unexpectedly reached out and cupped her cheek, turning his body towards her to block the sun. "Not silly at all. Why do you think I'm doing all this?"

"I guess that's part of the reason I let you," Sam admitted. It was true; she didn't really need his help getting in and out of bed, the bathtub or on and off the floor and before she would have hated him hovering around her to take care of things – her. But now she didn't mind at all and would even ask him for help, like last night when she could finally take a bath. Going to the mess hall would have been annoying and a bit tiring last night but she could have done it if she had to, but instead she had let him cater to her and had even seriously contemplated having breakfast in bed this morning even though she hated getting crumbs and whatnot in bed!

"I know," he said with a smirk, his thumb stroking her cheek.

Smiling, she leaned into his caress. It was tempting to nuzzle his palm and kiss it but she knew that wasn't wise; not only did those small gestures of love often get out of hand between them but he was also on duty and while it was just the two of them, there was still a chance someone could see them here out in the open. Her gaze locked onto his and she could easily read the regret and love in his dark eyes, telling her he felt the same way. Reaching up she slid her fingers around his hand, squeezed it briefly before pulling it down to remove temptation. "Do you want another sandwich?" She asked when she realized her stomach was growling.

"Nope, I'm good," Jack replied, winking at her before slipping his hand from hers.

Sam placed the work laptop on the ground to her right and reached for a sandwich. While she removed the packaging she looked at her husband as he sipped his coffee. Now that he had turned his body towards her a bit more the sun wasn't blinding her any longer and she finally had a chance to unabashedly watch him. This was probably as close as she could get to observing him in his natural habitat without going back to Earth, since he felt most comfortable at home or at the cabin in Minnesota.

Granted, he was technically still working and doing paperwork instead of fishing like she was but he was relaxed and outside, enjoying the fresh – and unpolluted – air and sunshine. He wasn't wearing his civvies but his olive drab BDUs were almost more familiar to her and something she would associate with Jack O'Neill for years to come in spite of his current assignment at HWS requiring him to wear his dress blues – which admittedly looked great on him. Her gaze went from his long fingers currently wielding a pen to sign some requisition forms to his tanned forearms, over the rolled-up sleeves of his jacket up to his delicious neck and handsome face.

"What?" Suddenly his twinkling brown eyes were on her and his lips quirked into a smile as she chuckled to herself. "Carter?"

"It's just…" She bit her lip in an effort to stop laughing and gestured at his collar. "Those are your BDUs from your last year at the SGC, aren't they? I can't believe you kept them."

Jack had a sheepish look on his face and tugged on his collar self-consciously before sliding his hands down his chest and thighs. "How can you tell?" He asked in a soft whine. "I thought they still fitted well…"

She smirked and teasingly poked his calf with her good foot. "Oh, they do… you're looking mighty fine, Jack O'Neill."

"Then what?"

"It's your collar," Sam said, after he finally looked up from inspecting his clothes. "It's missing a star," she clarified.

Her husband moved his head back while simultaneously pulling on the collar to get a good look at it. "Oh, right. I wonder if…"

"What?"

"Well, you're the first person to comment on it even though I've worn them before since my promotion, at the SGC and even the last time I was on Atlantis… Just wondering if no one noticed or if they didn't want to point it out to me," Jack elaborated, making a vague hand gesture. "It's not funny, Carter," he scolded her when she giggled, "now that I'm 'the Man' people are always kissing up to me – and you know you're the only one allowed to kiss me."

Sam smirked and took another bite of her sandwich before replying. "Don't worry about it, I'm sure Daniel would have loved rubbing your nose in it if he'd noticed it."

His expression suddenly cleared and a smug grin appeared. "That's true! Ah, well, good then."

"Couldn't you have simply requested a new pair?"

Jack gasped in mock-horror and placed a hand on his heart. "Do you any idea of the lengths I had to go through to get these, Samantha Carter? Besides," he allowed a small grin, "these are my lucky BDUs, I could never throw them out."

"You could just sew a new pair of stars on the collars," she replied, with a shrug. Then she frowned and raised her brow skeptically. "Wait, you have lucky BDUs?"

"You betcha! I-" He stopped himself and raised a hand to keep her from talking before touching his ear piece and telling whoever it was he was on his way. "Gotta go, Sheppard needs me for something," he told her, rolling his eyes.

Sam watched as he collected all the papers, stuffing them in several folders and instinctively she reached out to save his coffee cup and also grabbed the laptop. "Why are they your lucky BDUs?"

Flashing her a grin her husband got up and took the items from her. "Because my team always came home alive when I wore them. Now, with Teal'c joining the Jaffa Nation and Daniel being Earth-bound… well, I can't get rid of them until you're home safely."

"I-"

"No need to say anything, Sam," Jack interrupted her with a warm smile. Then he placed his hand on her neck and leaned in… "Ah crap," he muttered, quickly pulling back when he seemed to realize their lack of privacy.

She was just as disappointed as he was when instead he simply patted her shoulder and turned around to place his things on the chair. "Are you sure you don't need to take those with you?"

"Nah, I'll try to make this quick." He took a few steps before stopping mid-stride. "You know…"

"What?"

Jack tugged on his collar and smiled mischievously. "If you're still feeling domestic tonight you can sew on some extra stars."

Snorting, Sam shook her head slowly. "Really? I can think of better things to do with our time when we're alone tonight…"

"Good point!" He was quick to agree, still smiling and pointed at her fishing rod. "I expect you to have caught at least one fish by the time I get back, Colonel."

"Oh come on," she protested, "we don't even know if there _are_ fish around here."

He slowly continued his way back to the base, walking backwards. "Excuses, excuses, Carter."

"You didn't bring bait with you," she needlessly reminded him and then held up the rod a bit higher and shook it. "Plus I can't even tell if the hook is in the water from here!"

"Careful with that!" Jack said, still grinning infuriatingly. "That fishing rod is a family heirloom and was passed down to me by Grandma O'Neill."

Sam raised her eyebrow skeptically, not believing a word of it. "Really? Because I had no idea you came from a family of fishermen – or fisher_women_, for that matter."

"Hey now, I'll have you know Grandma O'Neill was quite the feminist. You two would have gotten along swimmingly, I'm sure," he teased. "See ya, Carter."

"Bye," she muttered softly, watching until he disappeared from sight. Her gaze went back to the fishing pole and she couldn't help but wonder if there had been even a smidgen of truth in his words… after all, the rod _had_ looked familiar from the moment he handed it to her and she was still pretty sure it was the same one he'd given to her at the cabin. But surely it was simply an extra, right? Didn't all those poles look alike anyway?

Just to be on the safe side Sam decided to be extra careful with it, at least until she got the chance to ask her husband about the thing's origin. Holding it in her right hand she placed her left one on the ground and tried to look over the edge of the pier but it was of no use; Jack had insisted on her sitting at least two feet away from the edge just in case she lost her balance and considering the cast on her right leg, she was inclined to agree with him. Better safe than sorry, she thought to herself. The question of whether or not her hook was actually dangling in the water would just have to remain unanswered, since the gusts of wind and the water lapping at the city was too loud for her to be able to hear the soft 'plop' of her bobber breaking the surface.

* * *

By the time Jack was finally finished and ready to go out again his mood had soured but the moment he stepped outside and felt the alien sunshine on his face again his spirits lifted. He hoped Carter wasn't too bored yet as things had taken longer than he'd expected – _he_ had certainly gotten bored. It was a bit colder than earlier when he reached the pier and he wondered if his wife was warm enough, wearing just some loose pants and a thin sweater but that was also why he had swung by her quarters to pick up her leather jacket before making his way over here.

The sight that greeted him at the end of the pier made him smile; Carter was flat on her back with the fishing rod held loosely in her right hand and lying across her thighs, her right leg still elevated and her eyes closed but a content smile on her face as she soaked up the sun. It may not be his cabin in Minnesota or even their home in DC, but he had to admit being here with her on Atlantis wasn't so bad… She knitted her brows when his frame caused a shadow to fall over her face and slowly opened one eye as she scrunched up her nose. "Hey you."

"Hey," Jack replied softly, not wanting to disturb the quiet moment. "No fish?"

"None." Carter shrugged but didn't seem too bothered by her lack of catching anything. "But someone once told me it's all about the act of fishing, anyway."

He smirked and walked around her to clear his chair and sit down. "Sounds like a smart guy," he said, holding his folders, laptop and her jacket. "But I guess that also means we're having mess hall food for dinner again instead of some nice alien fish."

She leaned up on her elbows, squinting at him. "Too bad. Everything go okay?"

"Yeah, everything's fine. Brought your jacket."

"Thank you."

Jack watched as she sat up and put on the jacket, pleased he'd taken the effort of retrieving it for her. "Thought you might be cold by now."

"It is getting a bit windy out here," she affirmed, just as a gust of wind blew her bangs out of her face. "Jack?"

"Hmm?"

Carter zipped up and tried to get more comfortable on the plaid, while still keeping her leg elevated. "I can't stay here, can I? I mean, on Atlantis. You said it yourself; it's standard operating procedure to send people on medical leave back to Earth as Atlantis can still be considered a combat zone. I would only get in the way and endanger others with my limited mobility."

He blew out a deep breath and ran a hand through his hair, wondering how to explain it to her without her getting upset with him. One look at her questioning face and astute gaze made him just come out with it, though, realizing she already knew and merely wanted confirmation. "Yeah, you have to leave. I'm sorry, Sam."

"Okay," she said, nodding to herself. Her tone of voice told him she was more bothered by this than she was letting on, though. "When?"

"Tomorrow or maybe the day after, depending on how much needs to be done."

"Then why did you volunteer to come here?" Carter questioned suddenly, almost angrily. "So you get to stay while I go back to Earth? Then we'll still be in different galaxies!"

Jack reached out and grabbed her hand. "No, no, not at all. I'm only here to make things in order for your real replacement – and to take you back home, of course. I figured you'd probably prefer me being here for a few days with you over Woolsey or one of his IOA puppets."

She sighed and he could see the tension leaving her body. "Okay, so who's going to be my replacement then?"

"Well, remember how I told you the IOA had agreed with me on a military commander to replace the fabulous yet injured military commander Atlantis already has?"

"Something like that," she said, snorting at his phrasing.

He grinned and squeezed her hand. "Well, I wasn't lying or talking about myself."

"Someone else is coming or already on Midway Station?"

"Nope." Jack smirked at her confused frown and jerked his head in the direction of the control tower. "You _do_ have a competent military 2IC, don't you?"

Carter raised her brows in surprise. "John?"

He shrugged as if it was no big deal, even though he understood her reaction seeing as how her 2IC had made no secret of not wanting the job when Doctor Elizabeth Weir needed to be replaced. Then again, it wasn't likely Sheppard would have gotten it even if he _had_ wanted it, considering the command required a full bird and his promotion to lieutenant colonel had been too recent – he simply didn't have the time in grade, let alone time in service for another one so soon. Plus the lack of command and field experience on his record, something his lonely assignment to Antarctica had contributed to, in spite of his top-secret missions to Afghanistan. Carter had also told Jack about her conversation with Sheppard when she took over command of the alien city and the man had told her he didn't envy her or Weir for their position because of the meddling IOA. "He _is_ your second, Sam. It's part of his job description to take over command when you're incapable of maintaining position and it's not like he wasn't taking the brunt of the military decisions when Elizabeth was still in charge."

"Does he know?"

"Not yet," Jack said, grimacing.

His wife chuckled and sent him a sympathizing glance. "Well, in that case I'm glad I'm already on medical leave and you're here to tell him."

"It shouldn't be a problem; Sheppard doesn't want a member of the IOA in charge here anymore than either of us does."

"That's true but John also doesn't like to be in an administrative or negotiating role," Carter said. "Not that he hasn't taken command in emergencies before but it's a different story when I'm on medical leave for _weeks_…"

Jack huffed, thinking back on the little talk he'd had with Sheppard about that diplomatic mission from yesterday. "I know. He's just gonna have to man up; it's not like either of us enjoyed doing diplomatic missions back on SG-1, but we still did them and far more often than his team has so far. It's the military and he can't pick or choose his orders, he knows that."

"I know."

"But you still negotiated with him over that mission to M5V-801," he reminded her.

Carter seemed surprised and looked at him curiously. "He told you that?"

He shook his head in reply. "Nah, he tried to weasel his way out of it when I mentioned the mission to him, saying he doesn't do diplomatic stuff. Figured he tried the same with you."

She looked a bit sheepish as she tried to explain, her cheeks slightly flushed. "It was supposed to be a simple and safe mission… It didn't need his or his team's expertise and I thought it was a nice opportunity for me to go through the 'gate and do a little field mission for a change. That's why I agreed to take the mission out of his hands, not because he didn't want t-"

"Ah," Jack uttered, interrupting her. "Never pegged you as letting a subordinate make decisions for you but it made me curious."

"Well, I don't," she said, sounding a bit peeved.

"Good, just checking." Carter seemed to mull it over and he hoped he hadn't sounded too harsh but feared she needed the reminder; she was 'the Man' here and the command was already out of the ordinary with so many civilians, the base being in another galaxy and the IOA pulling most of the strings, so it was easy for the lines to blur. He had experienced it himself at the SGC, both as 2IC to Hammond and base commander and it could become dangerous when difficult decisions had to be made…

She was possibly the most competent soldier he'd ever served with and certainly the most suitable for all this alien crap but Jack also knew was compassionate and cared about the people she worked with; he just didn't want her feelings to get in the way of her doing the best job she could, especially when he or their friends weren't there to have her back. Perhaps it was selfish and probably a tad too much, but he couldn't help himself.

"You of all people should know the feeling," she said, breaking the momentary silence that had descended upon the pier. "The urge to trade the desk for a trip through the 'gate, I mean."

"To be fair, your 'desk duty' here as base commander is a heck of a lot more interesting and exciting than flying a desk at the Pentagon. Trust me, I might have my fingers in all the alien-related pies but you see a lot more action."

Carter shrugged and slipped her fingers through his. "Maybe."

Jack looked down at their linked hands and squeezed hers briefly. "Guess it's time to get back inside. I'd hoped to be back sooner and get some more of this paperwork done but alas… At least I got to see you wearing that hot leather jacket."

"And here I was thinking you wanted to make sure I didn't get cold," she said, chuckling softly.

"Nope." He grinned when he was rewarded with one of those indulgent smiles of hers. "C'mon, let's get inside."


	5. Chapter 5

**Commander's Office, Atlantis  
New Lantea, M35-117  
Pegasus Galaxy**

Jack was settled on Carter's surprisingly comfortable desk chair and had only just booted up her work laptop to tie up some loose ends when Sheppard knocked on the door of the office. "Come on in," he said, beckoning the younger man inside with a wave of his hand. "What can I do for you, Colonel?"

"General," Sheppard greeted before entering the room. "I was looking for you, Sir. I had actually already stopped by your quarters and the mess hall until I heard you were here."

He frowned and focused his attention on the dark-haired officer. "So, what's this about?"

"Chuck told me there's an outgoing wormhole to Midway Station scheduled for tomorrow morning."

"That's right," Jack said slowly, wondering what was up with all the questions. Had Carter already told her 2IC about her going back to Earth or was he simply curious about the 'gate's activity? "What about it?"

Sheppard shifted on his feet and seemed to contemplate his answer. "I was just wondering why, Sir. I mean, it's not our regular time to check in with Earth and Chuck said you had specifically said Midway and not the macro to dial the SGC via Midway. So, I figured it had to be something important and the only thing I could come up with was if you were sending people back, which usually only happens to those on leave but I don't believe there's anyone scheduled for some regular or medical leave Earth-side."

"Ah," he muttered. "Well, there's Carter…"

"You're sending Colonel Carter back to Earth? Sir?"

Jack shook his head and tried to explain. "No… well, yes. But only because she's got a broken leg and needs to recuperate. A combat zone like Atlantis is not the place for someone to take medical leave of a few weeks."

Sheppard appeared to be a bit upset about that if the scowl on his face was any indication. "Does she know? Because she hasn't mentioned anything to me yet."

"She knows, I told her yesterday," he replied. Then, thinking back to the time they'd spent together on the pier, he shrugged. "Well, she kinda came to the conclusion on her own and I confirmed it."

"So you'll be staying here for the next few weeks, General?"

Smirking, Jack wondered if there was a bit of panic in Sheppard's eyes at the prospect. "Nah, I'm gonna escort Carter back," he said.

"So, you'll be coming back then?"

He grinned, trying to imagine the shock on the team leader's face when he'd realize who exactly was going to be in command of Atlantis for the next few weeks. "No, I need to get back to Earth soon too, so I figured I might as well combine it with Carter's trip back."

The dark-haired flyboy looked thoroughly confused – which pleased Jack immensely – and it took him a moment to come up with his next question. "Then who'll be in charge here and when are they going to show up? Is it someone from the IOA, or Woolsey himself maybe?"

"Nope," Jack said, amused by the obvious distaste in Sheppard's voice. "I told you when I arrived that the IOA eventually agreed with me on the military command thing, so no Woolsey or someone else from the IOA."

"Then who, Sir?"

"Some flyboy with a somewhat questionable record according to some," he replied. "You know, disobeying direct orders, unsanctioned ops, a black mark… but people who've worked with him seem to respect him."

Sheppard cleared his throat awkwardly and briefly glanced at the floor. "Anyone I know, Sir?"

"Actually, I believe you know him quite well."

"Is that so?"

Jack nodded in affirmation and leaned back in his chair, folding his hands behind his head. "Yep. Elizabeth relied on you to handle all things military and Carter certainly seems to trust you or you wouldn't be her 2IC."

The Lieutenant Colonel quirked a brief smile at the remark of how the two commanders of Atlantis – previous and current – trusted his capabilities before his expression turned into a grimace. "Wait, are you saying _I_ am supposed to take over until Colonel Carter returns in six weeks?"

"Well," he sighed, "the six weeks is really more of an estimate. It depends on how well her leg is healing and she may need another type of cast or simply physical therapy for a little while afterwards, so it could even be two months or longer."

"But-"

Jack held up his hand to forestall his protest. "Ack! Don't argue with me about this, unless you'd rather have Woolsey boss you around for the next few weeks?"

Sheppard glared at him and suddenly appeared a bit restless. "Of course I don't want Woolsey here but I saw what the IOA did with Elizabeth and sometimes still tries with Colonel Carter – all the politics and red tape is really not my style, Sir."

"That may very well be but you can't have it both ways, Colonel; being team leader of the flagship team and having certain privileges as the base commander's 2IC without actually doing the hard stuff like taking command when your CO is unable to do so. I know you also like your independence and you don't want to be stuck behind a desk or responsible for everyone in this city but in a way you already are as the most senior officer next to Carter. Simply put, Sheppard, with your position come certain responsibilities-"

"I know, Si-"

Jack grunted at the interruption and slammed his hand on the desk. "You can't have your cake and eat it too, Colonel. Remember our little talk prior to your diplomatic mission to M5V-801?"

The Lieutenant Colonel grimaced, nodding slowly. "Yes Sir."

"Good, because this is one of those things that I – and Carter, too – don't really trust anyone else with at the moment. Right now, I think you're the best man for the job and I think we both know Carter is grooming you for command anyway, regardless of what you want because she also doesn't want to see some IOA shrub taking over when she's reassigned in the future. As her 2IC you've got to have her six and step in for her, or things-"

"Will go to hell in a handbasket," he finished for him.

"Exactly!" Jack exclaimed, pleased that they seemed to be on the same wavelength here. "You know this city better than anyone else of our expedition and you're the best we've got to handle the chair or even the jumpers… but if you don't feel like you're up to doing the difficult part of the job I'm sure we can find you a nice and easy reassignment. Maybe back to Antarctica, seeing as how much you liked it there. We'd have to find someone else to lead your team but I'm sure Ronon and Teyla would understand, or at least pretend to as most aliens tend to think we humans are a bit weird anyway. McKay… well, he always complains no matter what but he'll adapt or be sent back to Earth too and I think we both know he wouldn't want that, so he'll play ball eventually. It's his new team leader I'm more worried abo-"

Sheppard threw up his hands in a frustrated gesture and interrupted him again. "Okay, I get it, Sir."

"Good," he said curtly. "In that case, you have until the scheduled wormhole to Midway Station. If you haven't made up your mind about whether or not you belong here and are capable of taking the responsibilities that come with your position, then you might as well make go through the 'gate yourself and I'll wait here for Woolsey to show up. Who knows, you two might be able to share the better part of that twenty-four-hour quarantine together on Midway."

"Gee, thank you, General."

Jack smirked at him before focusing on the laptop in front of him again. "Glad we got that settled then, Colonel. Now just go about your business while I do important commander stuff," he said, making a shooing motion with his hand. When he heard footsteps moving away Jack looked up again and stopped the man when he neared the door. "Oh and if you decide you're not capable or worthy of this command then please let me know in time; I'd hate to have to unpack all my things again in the morning."

"Will do, Sir." Sheppard threw him a lazy salute before exiting the office.

He watched him go and briefly wondered how long it would take the flyboy to tell him he was ready to man up and take over for Carter. Jack doubted it would take Sheppard long as everyone knew the man belonged here on Atlantis and was more in his element here than he'd ever be in Antarctica or whichever continent on Earth. It was just a shame that he let his distaste for politics and red tape get in the way of fulfilling his potential, although Jack also knew the dark-haired Lieutenant Colonel wasn't ready for full command yet, but that's why he was Carter's 2IC – to learn along the way.

Besides, if Sheppard got through the next six weeks or so relatively unscathed then maybe Jack could welcome his wife a bit more on Earth, as Carter would then feel more comfortable taking longer periods of leave to come home…

* * *

**Carter's Quarters, Atlantis  
New Lantea, M35-117  
Pegasus Galaxy**

Sam was standing on her balcony and drinking in the sight of the city, the ocean and the feel of the alien sun on her face when she heard the distinct sound indicating someone was at her door. Her crutches were next to her, leaning against the balustrade but since she hadn't locked the door she simply waited for whoever it was to enter her quarters. She wasn't surprised to see John Sheppard cautiously sticking his head in because she knew Jack had talked to him yesterday about him replacing her during her recovery. "John, come on in."

"Colonel," he replied upon spotting her. With a small smile he entered the room and headed her way after casting a glance at the bag on her bed. "All packed?"

"You betcha." She leaned back against the balustrade and waited for him to join her. "General O'Neill and I have to leave for Midway soon, so…"

John squinted as he stepped into the sunlight. "Six weeks, right?"

Canting her head Sam grinned at him. "Thereabouts."

"Ah."

"Think you can fill in for me?"

He grimaced, his eyes darting to her cast leg before they came up to her face again. "General O'Neill already gave me the talk yesterday."

Sam chuckled softly at his discomfort. "I know, he told me. And he may have mentioned something about throwing you through the 'gate to Midway Station himself if you refused."

That got a snicker out of him. "I don't doubt it!"

"You'll do it then?"

"Well, if it's between me and Woolsey…"

Reaching out Sam touched his arm. "John, there's a reason Elizabeth wanted you on this expedition and why General O'Neill approved it. If neither of them thought you were fit to lead the military contingent of the Atlantis Expedition after Colonel Sumner was lost then they would have gotten someone else to replace him. If you hadn't done such a great job here you wouldn't be my 2IC, either," she added.

He shook his head and ran a hand through his hair, smiling slightly. "Yeah, General O'Neill mentioned something like that, too. He also said something about you grooming me for command…"

"You can't stay in the field forever," she said, shrugging. "Trust me."

"Maybe but … flying a desk?"

Sam rolled her eyes indulgently, mildly amused at his whining tone that sounded oddly similar to Jack's when the subject came up. "You're in your late thirties, John. How much longer do you think you can do fieldwork? If it's not your physique or medical problems in a couple of years then you'll likely be pulled for fear of psychological damage after all the brain-probing and life-force-sucking encounters with aliens-"

Her 2IC frowned and interrupted her cheekily. "I thought this was supposed to be something like a pep talk for me to step in while you're on leave but now it's just getting depressing, Colonel."

"I'm just saying," she said, smiling, "provided that you'll continue to be a good team leader and also do your duties as a second-in-command regardless of your distaste for politics and such you'll no doubt make it to full bird in a couple of years."

"But…?"

Shrugging, she turned around and leaned on the railing with her forearms. "But after a few more years there's no place for you in the field. Trust me, there's only so much abuse your body and mind can take."

John mirrored her pose, with just a few inches between their shoulders but didn't say anything until her eyes landed on him. "Is that what happened to you?"

"No, after eight years on SG-1 I requested a transfer," she explained. "After all the things I'd seen and experienced… I needed something a bit more normal and after losing so many friends I felt my luck was going to run out sooner or later. There was a lot going on in my personal life too and I just needed some time to breathe and reorient myself."

"Your dad died, right?" He asked cautiously after a moment of silence, his voice soft and tone somber.

Sam smiled wanly and nodded, knowing it was a sensitive subject for him too as he had just lost his own father recently. "Yes, among other things. Cassandra was also going through a rough time at university and Nevada is a heck of a lot closer to UCLA than Colorado Springs, not to mention how working at Area 51 gave me more flexibility and regular hours to be there for her."

"The girl from the photo in your office."

"Yes, she was an alien orphan our CMO – Janet Fraiser – had adopted in the first year of the Program…"

John nodded, probably recalling some things he'd heard through the grapevine from people who'd worked at the SGC before Atlantis. "She died, right? A couple of years ago."

"Almost four years ago," she confirmed. "Janet was my best friend and the only parent Cassandra had at that time, so after her death Cassie moved in with me since it would only be a couple of months until she would be off to college. Anyway," Sam said, shaking off the memory and pain she still felt at the mention of Janet. "I went to Area 51 because I wanted to. After eight years of fighting a galactic war and watching too many people die it was a nice change of pace."

He shuddered and glanced up at the sky, as if he could see beyond it into space. "I can imagine." Then he canted his head and glanced at her curiously. "Still, you went back."

"My expertise on certain technology my department at Area 51 had created was needed in the war against the Ori and so I was temporarily reassigned to the SGC," she explained. In a way she had been happy to go back and see her friends again but at the same time she hadn't wanted to go back to fight the Ori, especially not when she and Jack had finally gotten romantically involved and the 'temporary' assignment placed her right back in his chain of command. "Of course, things never go as planned and temporary became permanent." Kind of like her relationship with Jack, but in a good way.

"And then you ended up here," John concluded.

Sam nodded slowly, remembering how she had been simultaneously excited and terrified of taking command of the alien city. Surprisingly, Jack had been the one to persuade her to take it and he'd used similar arguments as the ones she was sharing with John now; how much longer could she survive in the field and what would be next if she refused Atlantis? Area 51 perhaps but she had already been there, done that and was kind of over it.

"You've done a great job so far," her 2IC said, breaking the silence.

"Thank you."

John shrugged as if it was nothing and then casually pointed at her cast. "Well, except for the leg."

She chuckled, shaking her head. "Yes, I know. You're not the first person to point that out."

"General O'Neill?" He grinned when she nodded in affirmation, obviously pleased he'd guessed correctly. "Any regrets about taking the job?"

"Climbing on those rickety crates comes close but overall, no." Sam said firmly. Then again, if she hadn't fallen down and broken her leg Jack wouldn't be here and she would have to go without seeing her husband in the flesh for a couple of more weeks, so all in all it wasn't that bad. Spending the next six weeks or so with Jack in DC certainly wasn't a punishment, as long as she knew her command was in good hands. "You?"

"Colonel?"

At his confused tone she waved her hand around, trying to encompass the alien city. "Do you have any regrets about taking the job? I know you weren't too keen on it when Elizabeth first made you the offer."

His eyebrows shot up and he seemed genuinely surprised. "You do?"

"I heard about your conversation with General O'Neill," she replied, recalling how Jack had told her about their first meeting. "In the helicopter," she added.

"Ah yes, he was very, um," he grinned, "succinct. He gave me only until we reached McMurdo to decide whether I wanted to join Elizabeth's expedition."

"He's like that," she confirmed. "Very, um-"

"Unconventional for a two star," John supplied. "But in a good way, of course."

Sam smiled at the quick addition, knowing Jack would be pleased to learn people thought he was 'unconventional' since he'd never really enjoyed becoming 'the Man' and even less so when he'd been more or less forced to take over HWS from General Hammond. "That was over three years ago," she reminded her 2IC. "No regrets?"

He shook his head, a cocky smile on his face. "Nah, the General was right; anyone who doesn't want to go through the Stargate is crazy. Not to mention Teyla and Ronon… even Rodney is okay, I guess."

"And what about the next five or ten years?" She asked, raising an eyebrow at him. "Do you think you four will still be alive and working as a team? If you survive you'll eventually be pulled from the field; the back, knees and brain can take only so much and the brass will probably want you to remain alive because of your ATA gene and how adept you are with the chair and other Ancient technology."

"You're not pulling any punches, are you, Colonel?" He asked, running a hand through his hair.

"John," Sam said, "you're a big boy and you don't need me coddling you. What you _do_ need is a future, preferably one in which you're still alive, on active duty and continuing to keep Atlantis safe. You're the best choice for my replacement because of various reasons, like being able to handle Ancient technology innately and work with military, aliens and civilians alike."

He chuckled mirthlessly and looked out over the city. "So, basically I'm the best man for the job and I should be looking at the bigger picture since it's not just about me anymore. That sounds awfully familiar."

"Really?"

"General O'Neill may have said something along those lines as well," John said.

Reaching out she briefly touched his shoulder in encouragement. "You should listen to him, John."

"He's got quite the reputation," he admitted.

Sam nodded in agreement, knowing just how true that statement was. Jack might not always play by the rules and he didn't blindly follow orders, but in the words of General Hammond there simply wasn't a rulebook for the kind of work they did. Still, Jack was respected by the men and women he'd served with, that had been proven time and again at the SGC and even all the politicians and diplomats he had to work with these days seemed to respect – or at least fear – him. "You remind me of him in some ways," she said, grinning. "You two certainly share the same aversion to paperwork, politicians and anything diplomatic."

John chuckled softly in reply. "Yeah, he may have mentioned something about intensely disliking his job but basically putting up with it for the greater good, until someone he trusts is ready to take over for him and he can retire."

"Sounds like him."

"Elizabeth told me something similar a long time ago," he said after a minute or two of silence. "About my service record and gut instinct resembling that of General O'Neill."

His wistful tone got Sam's attention and the faraway look in his eyes tugged at her heartstrings. She observed him for a moment and came to the conclusion that he was perhaps even more like Jack than either of them had realized. Smiling gently she placed her hand on his where it was grasping the balustrade tightly. "You miss her."

Slowly, John looked up and his eyes found hers. Sadness and grief flashed in his. "Yeah, I do."

"You two…"

"I cared about her," he admitted softly, looking down. "I don't know, maybe in time…"

Sam squeezed his hand before pulling hers back, sensing this was private and really none of her business. "I'm sorry."

"Me too," he murmured.

Silence reigned on the balcony and for a moment she wondered if she should retreat inside to give him a moment even though they were in her quarters and they both had to get going; he had to talk to Jack to inform him of his decision before they dialed Midway Station. She was already reaching for her crutches when her 2IC spoke.

"You and General O'Neill," John started slowly, almost hesitantly. "I know it's probably none of my business but you're different around each other. Also whenever I went looking for him he was usually with you, or coming out of your quarters early in the morning. The ones assigned to him are pretty much unused and his bag wasn't even fully unpacked. At first I tried not to think anything of it but I saw you two yesterday on the pier when I needed him for something and you were talking and laughing… you didn't do anything inappropriate but it looked quite intimate, just by your body language. I'm not trying to accuse you of anything and what you do on your own time is entirely up to you but I just wanted to give you a heads-up because not everyone here might think the same way."

"Oh God," Sam muttered, covering her face with a hand. _That_ was exactly why they had always refrained from touching each other or sitting too close for all the years they had worked together but now they had dropped the ball, thinking they weren't doing anything inappropriate but still betraying their feelings with the smallest gestures. "John-"

"Hey, it's really none of my business," he said quickly. "I mean, technically you answer to the IOA and even though General O'Neill is in command of Atlantis right now, you're on medical leave, so…"

God, this was embarrassing! "It's not like that… Well, it is but it's not what you think." She took a deep breath and tried to explain it. "Nothing ever happened while we were working at the SGC, I swear-"

"Whoa, relax! That never even crossed my mind, Colonel. I like to think I know you better than that."

"John, remember how I mentioned that stint at Area 51?" When he nodded slowly Sam let out a sigh before continuing with her explanation. "We weren't in the same chain of command at the time, so we, um-"

"Dated?"

Rolling her eyes, she groaned. That sounded so ridiculous at her age, it was almost as bad as when Jack had technically been her boyfriend. "Yes, so you can imagine that my 'temporary' reassignment to the SGC threw a wrench in our plans."

His eyes widened in understanding and he grimaced sympathetically. "Oh."

"Breaking it off wasn't an option, not after we'd waited for eight years… So, we got married instead."

"Right!" John exclaimed, grinning. "General O'Neill mentioned he had a wife!"

Sam frowned in confusion, wondering what else Jack had told her 2IC. "He did?"

"Slip of the tongue, I guess," he shrugged. "He was talking about how he'd rather be fishing with his wife at his cabin. Anyway, I'm glad to hear it. I'm happy for you; if anyone deserves it it's you two, probably."

"Thank you, John." She smiled gratefully. "We just prefer to keep it quiet because of our history but the higher-ups are aware of it and try to be as accommodating as possible in our line of work."

"Oh, of course! I won't tell a soul," he swore, still grinning. "Although it would be nice to just see the expression on Rodney's face…"

"Please, don't remind me," Sam said, grimacing. It had been hard enough not to blurt it out the day she'd arrived on Atlantis to take command and Rodney had come to her to talk about the 'unrequited lust' hanging between them. "Well, we should probably get going before Jack comes looking for us and tosses us both through the 'gate."

John laughed and handed her her crutches. "Yes, we wouldn't that."

He watched her with a funny expression as she took the crutches from him. "What?"

"Nothing," he said quickly. "I'm just happy for you… Sam."

"Thanks."

"It's nice to know that people in your positions can cope with such strong feelings for years and then overcome their working relationship after so long and still make it look so easy and natural…" His tone was almost wistful as his voice trailed off and he cast another glance at the sky. "It makes me wonder…"

Sam nodded wordlessly but doubted he saw it as he shook his head and walked away, clearly too preoccupied with his thoughts and she didn't want to intrude; they had already been more open with each other than she could have imagined. It was good to know John supported her marriage to Jack, even though her husband probably wouldn't be too ecstatic at learning her 2IC knew the truth about their relationship. Still, it was nice not to have to hide it from him anymore.

* * *

**Gate Room, Atlantis  
New Lantea, M35-117  
Pegasus Galaxy**

Jack waved off the people that had all gathered around to see him and Carter off and waited until they were all gone, or at least out of earshot before leaning in towards his wife. "So, ready for a twenty-four-hour quarantine at Midway?"

She beamed a smile at him and raised her brows suggestively. "Oh yes, I'm sure we can come up with something to pass the time."

"Why, I like the way you think, Carter."

"Thank you, Sir."

He rolled his eyes in mock exasperation, knowing she was only keeping up the pretense like the good officer she was. "Had I already mentioned I also managed to arrange for one of the ships in orbit to beam us over to the Pentagon from the SGC? That way we can take a car back to our place and enjoy the next few days together since I had my assistant clear my schedule for the rest of the week."

"Sounds good, Sir," she replied as the connection with Midway Station was established.

"Yep, just you, me and… well, nothing else, really."

Carter smiled wickedly up at him. "A bed would be nice."

"Right," Jack said, smirking. "I think that can be arranged. You need your rest after all, with that leg of yours…"

"Exactly! C'mon, let's go home."

Home.

Yeah, he couldn't wait to take her home and have her to himself for the next six weeks! "You betcha, Carter."

The End


End file.
